'Play-in' games start unofficial football playoffs

By Michael Carvell

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The state's high school football playoffs begin next week, but a few teams will be playing elimination games Friday.

They are called "Play-In" games, which are games between teams from the same region who compete for that particular region's four berths to the state tournament.

Why are "Play-Ins" needed? They are often used in large regions with 12 or more teams that are unable to play a full region schedule.  It's an attempt to award playoff spots to the region's overall four best teams.

"You'd rather not have subregions and play a full region schedule," Sandy Creek coach Chip Walker said. "But with the hand we're dealt with, this [format] is about as good as you can get."

Here are three more things to know about "Play-In" games:

True region champion: In most cases, the format has the two first-place teams from each subregion playing each other, with the winner earning the overall region championship and No. 1 playoff seed. The loser goes to the playoffs as the region's No. 2 seed.  The next two "Play-In" games match the second-place team in one subregion against third place from the other, and vice versa. The two winners go to the playoffs as No. 3 and 4, while the two losers are finished for the year.

Counter stacked subregions: If your team is in an usually strong subregion, it has to finish only among the top three teams -- rather than two -- to qualify for the "Play-In" games.

"If a team ends up second in the subregion, it doesn't necessarily mean it is one of the top four teams in the region," St. Pius coach Paul Standard said. "I think this is the best method for [large] regions because it's decided on the football field."

One extra home game: St. Pius will play six home games rather than the normal five in the regular season because it earned home-field advantage for Friday's "Play-In" against Dunwoody. An extra home game could bring in as much as $15-25,000 for St. Pius. Meanwhile, Dunwoody will have played six of 10 games on the road this year. In Region 5-AAAA, the home and away teams share the "Play-In" gate. However, in Region 6-AAA, the coaches decided that each side of the subregion will alternate yearly in hosting all "Play-In" games. "I kind of like it better this way because you are guaranteed at least five home games every year," Cartersville coach Frank Barden said.